Absorbent articles of the above-mentioned kind are intended for absorption of body fluids, such as urine and blood. As a liquid pervious topsheet, facing the wearer during use, they usually exhibit a nonwoven material, for example of spunbond-type. It is also previously known to arrange a liquid acquisition layer between the top layer and the absorbent body, said liquid acquisition layer having the ability to quickly receive large quantities of liquid, and to distribute the liquid and temporarily store it before it is absorbed by the underlying absorbent body. This is of great importance, especially in the thin compressed absorbent bodies of today, often comprising a high content of so called superabsorbents, which certainly have a high absorption capacity but in many cases a too low absorption rate in order to momentously be able to absorb the large quantity of liquid which can be discharged within a few seconds during urination. A porous, relatively thick acquisition layer, for example in the form of a fibrous wadding, a carded fibrous web, or another type of fibrous material, has a high instantaneous liquid-receiving capacity and is able to store the liquid temporarily until it has been absorbed by the absorbent body. The same applies for porous foam materials. The liquid is thereafter drained successively into the adjacent absorbent body, after which the acquisition layer once again has the capacity to receive liquid from a repeated wetting.
Examples of absorbent articles comprising such porous acquisition layers are, for example, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,371,667, EP-A-0,312,118 and EP-A-0,474,777.
The materials used today as acquisition layers in absorbent articles are mostly functioning well, but are relatively expensive and can sometimes exhibit an insufficient acquisition rate, especially in the second and third wettings, if large quantities of liquid are involved. Furthermore, they are difficult to process and store due to their bulkiness.
It is previously known through EP-A-0,391,814 and GB-B2,209,672 to use continuous, unbonded synthetic fibres, so-called tow, in absorbent articles for distributing liquid in the longitudinal direction of the article.
It is further known through WO 99/27876 to provide a tow layer used in an absorbent article as an acquisition and/or topsheet material and which has been bonded in points, lines or spots in a bonding pattern, but where the tow filaments otherwise are substantially unbonded to each other. This material layer exhibits a high acquisition rate for liquid also when repeatedly wetted, exhibits a high strength in longitudinal direction, high resistance and high comfort. One problem that may occur with this type of material is that it is difficult to achieve a high strength in the transverse direction, since said strength being provided solely by the bonding pattern.